Some purists may criticize Apple's moves to make Macs more compatible to Windows and other may have seen it as a sign of weakness when the company switched to Intel processors. On the contrary, recent analysis has revealed that the move actually helped Macs reach out to more people in the corporate world.

The case used to be that it was usually the office's creative department alone that uses Apple's machines. That usually meant autonomy against the company IT. Whatever the case, all that seems to be changing. The fact of the matter is that users have been catching on and warming over because of some good reasons.

The OS X has been very stable and user-friendly. Add to that the addition of Windows apps running on the platform. That meant Mac fans were no longer alienated in the workplace and what happened is a better flow of data and a much more fluid sense of coordination.

Productivity software has also been on the rise. Apple doesn't have the biggest developer base, let's face it. Even so, most of the releases on the platform often have great quality. The new systems also have the ability to run Windows XP and maybe even Vista in the future for maximum flexibility.

Ars Technica ran a nice list of other reasons why Macs are being welcomed by more people in the work place. Follow the read URL to see them.

We're sure you've already heard of Boot Camp, this amazing tool that lets you natively run Windows on your Mac laptops and computers. Yep (for the uninitiated) Boot Camp lets you install Windows without moving your Mac data, or burning a CD with all the required drivers for Windows.

Boot Camp public installer has been made available months ago, and now Apple has released a new version of Boot Camp. Boot Camp 1.2 beta includes some improvements, and it can be used by new and previous Boot Camp beta users. The following are the changes available on 1.2 beta:

• Support for Windows Vista (32-bit)
• Updated drivers, including but not limited to trackpad, Apple Time (synch), audio, graphics, modem, iSight camera
• Support the Apple Remote (works with iTunes and Windows Media Player)
• A Windows system tray icon for easy access to Boot Camp information and actions
• Improved keyboard support  for Korean, Chinese, Swedish, Danish, Norwegian, Finnish, Russian, and French Canadian
• Improved Windows driver installation experience
• Updated documentation and Boot Camp on-line help in Windows
• Apple Software Update (for Windows XP and Vista)

If you've previously installed Boot Camp and would like to update, there's no need to partition your hard drive nor reinstall your Macintosh and Windows software and documents. Just update the Boot Camp Assistant software, create a new Mac Drivers CD, and install the updated software it contains onto Windows. Anyway the full installation instructions as well as the downloadable Boot Camp beta 1.2 software awaits when you follow the source link.

Complaining of the stability status of your iPod? Apple has the fix ready for you. The Cupertino company has released the iTunes 7.1.1 to address the aforementioned issue and to expand its overall compatibility as well.

The update is available for both Macintosh and Windows platforms. The software is used in conjunction with the iPod  to rip and import songs from Cds, download media and organize files.

Apple proudly describes the application as "the worldÂ?s best way to organize and enjoy your personal digital music and video collection with your Mac. iTunes is also the easiest way to sync music, videos, and more with your iPod." The update is applicable to OS X 10.3.9 or higher and current Windows XP versions.

Download the update from the product's official site and let the music flow once more.

   
 

Winnydows has updated her video-converting homebrew application, XviD4PSP. XviD4PSP is one of the most-downloaded video format converters for the PlayStation Portable, Apple iPod, and Microsoft Windows / PC.

It is also useful because different video formats have different compression levels, so you are able to reduce video file sizes.

XviD4PSP runs on Windows Vista or Windows XP SP2. Yes, XviD4PSP is a homebrew application "for" the PSP and iPod, but you don't run it on the PSP or iPod.

If this is your first time to hear about XviD4PSP, we suggest you visit Winnydows' site. Additional info and minimal system requirements are listed at Winnydow's XviD4PSP page - YOU NEED TO READ IT (click on the "Read" link below).

Past versions (like XviD4PSP v4.106 Final and XviD4PSP v4.107 Final) had a lot of bug fixes and new additions, but "XviD4PSP v4.108 RC1 Update" has only one notable change, but it's a significant change.

• In XviD4PSP v4.108 RC1 Update, the quality of x264 encoding has been enhanced.

As was often the case in past XviD4PSP updates, we have aDcOoL to thank for reminding QJ.NET's PSPUPDATES writers about this update.

Download: XviD4PSP v4.108 RC1 Update

Parallels announced today that Parallels Desktop, its virtualization software for the Mac, has been updated. Parallels Desktop allows users running Intel-powered Apple Macs to run Windows, Linux or any other operating system at the same time as Mac OS X, without re-booting.

This new version of Parallels Desktop is anchored by a completely customizable new feature called Coherence. Coherence allows users to run Windows applications on their Macs like they were native applications.

When users switch to Coherence mode, the Windows desktop disappears, leaving Windows applications, such as Outlook and Internet Explorer, running directly on the Mac desktop and from the Mac application dock.

"When we introduced Parallels Desktop in April, we blurred the lines between the Mac and Windows worlds. With the introduction of Coherence, we completely blow that line away," said Benjamin Rudolph, Director of Communications, Parallels. "This is a game-changing technology that gives users the ability to choose the best application for the job at hand. We intend to expand the Coherence function to help computer users move to a truly operating system-agnostic desktop."

Parallels Desktop also includes a powerful new migration tool called Transporter that gives users the ability to move their entire existing PCs Â? including all of its settings, applications, files and profiles -- directly to a Parallels virtual machine running on their new Macs, without re-installing Windows. Perfect for users who are just switching from a Windows PC to a Mac.

You can grab a copy of Parallels Desktop on the Parallels website for US$ 79.99. A trial version is also available on the website. Kudos to ben for the heads up.

More features after the jump!

Parallels has released Parallels Desktop for Mac build 3036 Beta. Parallels Desktop for Mac (US$79.99) gives Apple users the ability to run Windows side by side with Mac OS X in a secure, isolated, virtual machine. The software runs on Intel-powered Apples, including iMac, Mac Mini, MacBook, and MacBook Pro.

Download Parallels Desktop for Mac Beta Build 3036. It will be a FREE update once it becomes generally available. However, this is beta software, and you know what that means, right? No? Well it means you should treat it very carefully. Do not install this beta into the production environment yet. Do backup your virtual machines before starting them.

IMPORTANT:
Resume and shut down all suspended Virtual Machines prior to upgrade.

You can read the list of features of the Parallels Desktop for Mac build 3036 Beta after the jump (that means you click on the "Full Article" link to see the full article).

Download: [Parallels Desktop for Mac build 3036 Beta]

If only it were this easy to erase every wrong thing you did and restore your life back to the way it was... Too bad the Reset Utility is only for the iPod shuffle. You'd have loved it more.

Regardless of what it cannot do, the iPod shuffle Reset Utility is very useful as it can fix a lot of problems you've been having with your player. The Reset Utility's main function is to restore the original iPod shuffle. This translates to erasing all music and data on the iPod and then reinstalling software v1.1.4. Take note though that this only works for First Gen 1 GB and 512 MB iPod shuffle.

Here are some other problems that the iPod shuffle Reset Utility can fix:

• Even after pressing the play button while the shuffle's switched on, you can neither sync music from iTunes nor simply play music. Pressing play will only cause the green and amber LEDs to light up for a few seconds.
• Although the iPod shuffle appears as a "Removable Disk" on a Windows PC, the shuffle volume doesn't mount correctly and is listed under "Disk Drives" as "Apple iPod USB Device" in the Device Manager.
• The iPod shuffle doesn't appear or mount in the Finder on Macs; it's only recognized in Apple System Profiler under Hardware -> USB.
• The unit may not be recognized when you're attempting to restore it; worse, the restore may fail completely. Note that it might take three restore attempts and several minutes before the iPod shuffle gets recognized.

Keep in mind these reminders though before and while you're using the Reset Utility:

• An Admin user password for your computer is required to use the utility.
• The Reset Utility restores your unit with the v1.1.4 software and will not restore the unit for a second time once it has been reset.
• If the Reset Utility doesn't work, then your unit may need service from official Apple centers.

Here's what you need to do to install the iPod shuffle Reset Utility:

1. Open the iPodshuffleResetUtility.pkg (Mac) or the iPodshuffleResetUtilitySetup.exe (Windows) file.
2. Follow the onscreen instructions.
3. Once installation is complete, the iPod shuffle Reset Utility will be available on a Mac at /Applications/Utilities/iPod shuffle Reset Utility or on Windows by choosing Start > Programs > iPod > iPod shuffle Reset Utility.

Using the Reset Utility:

1. Quit all running applications on your computer.
2. Open the iPod shuffle Reset Utility.
3. Connect iPod shuffle to a USB port on your computer. Do not connect iPod shuffle to a USB port on your keyboard or other non-powered USB hub.
4. Click the Restore button. If prompted, enter an Admin user name and password.
5. The restore process will start.
6. When it is complete, quit iPod shuffle Reset Utility and open iTunes to sync music to your iPod shuffle.

System requirements:

• Mac OS X 10.2.8 or later
• Windows XP with Service Pack 2 or Windows 2000 with Service Pack 4

Download: [iPod shuffle Reset Utility for Windows]
Download: [iPod shuffle Reset Utility for Mac]

Snaps for CasiCakes and their updated iPod2PC application. With it, you can move your music files, videos, playlists, and even song information into your iTunes. It also allows you to browse through your songs in the iPod easily. The application scans your iPod for your songs and playlists, and all you have to do it right-click to bring up the context menu.

The context menu is the one which will allow you to check or un-check what you want to copy from the list. They can be sorted by title, artist, album, or any which way you prefer. Too bad it's a trial version though. You can get the license for US$ 19.90 via PayPal, or US$ 23 via ShareIt.

What's new in this version?

• Improved: correct scanning of playlists when third party tools are used with the iPod

Requirements:

• Windows XP (Home/Pro) or Windows 2000.
• PC-formatted iPod with "Disk use enabled"
• iTunes 5.0 or higher (when importing to iTunes)

Download: [iPod2PC v3.6]

Now, before you can say "zip-a-de-doo-dah", the juiced-up Mac Pro most probably beat you to it already - about 200 bajillion times faster, as a matter of fact. Ok, exaggerating aside, we know how fast the Quad Core is. But is there any proof? Friends, Romans, Steve Jobians... Folks over at PC Pro have clocked the Mac Pro as "teh win" when it comes to running Windows XP.

Using Apple's Boot Camp beta, they've sneaked in XP Professional and tested it with some of the more demanding tasks that you can work with in Windows apps: like running Adobe Photoshop and decoding music simultaneously, or rendering 3D graphics. For the latter example, usual tests would give them frame renders of over a minute; with the Mac Pro, they achieved complete renders under 34 seconds.

If that's not enough evidence, maybe you want to test it out yourself. If you got a Quad Core Mac Pro (you lucky devil, you), maybe you can open up some videos, music, and slideshows. Then, while that's running in the background, see if you can play your Sudoku widget on the dashboard. Well? Cheering "zip-a-de-doo-dah" yet? Or did your Mac Pro beat you to it again?

Apple fans everywhere must be cringing at the thought, but numbers compiled by Net Applications (the net statistics people) show that the Mac OS market share has fallen to 3.71% as of August, from a high of 4.55% last December. While the numbers were miniscule to begin with - as is the dip - the worry is that it's reversing the earlier trend that saw a growing interest in the Mac Operating System as an alternative to Windows.

The dominant OS in PCs today just so happens to be Windows XP, and it may stay that way for a while. However, the numbers may be rendered moot with both Apple and Microsoft launching the latest versions of their respective operating systems, OS X (a.k.a. Leopard) and Windows Vista, but the numbers do send a clear signal to Apple's accounting and advertising arms: hope that their MacAd campaign pays off big-time.